Feds charge man for Philadelphia airfield invasion

The U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia announced charges on Friday against a Delaware County man who allegedly drove his Jeep through a fence and onto the airfield at Philadelphia International Airport.

Kenneth Richard Mazik, 24, of Chadds Ford, was charged with disrupting the services of Philadelphia International Airport and, in so doing, endangering the safety at that airport, United States Attorney Zane Memeger said in a statement.

The incident happened just after 10:00 a.m. Thursday.

That statement alleges that Mazik crashed his black Jeep Grand Cherokee through a locked gate at Gate 25 near Hog Island Road at the west end of the airport - as a plane was approaching for a landing.

Authorities say that after entering the airfield, Mazik turned onto runway 9R, the same runway that incoming aircraft was approaching.

Witnesses told Action News on Thursday that Mazik was parked outside the gate apparently waiting for one of the planes to come in for a landing. As an incoming plane approached he then allegedly accelerated - blasting through the gate and onto airport property.